Reunions and Refusions
by gokunion
Summary: ~T/G~ Trunks & Goten are reunited after 2 years of growing up, a World Tournament approaches, Vegeta has grown into a family man, a new foe lies upon the horizen and a thickening plot? Either it's the synopsis for a new dragon ball z movie or this story!
1. Chapter 1: Hi Again!

This is a quick note to say that I've fixed this first "chapter" by deleting a repeated paragraph (Hey, it's my first time trying to fiddle around with settings to keep this in html format, I accidentally copied it earlier) as well as adding the beginning note for it which will be included with every chapter quite possibly as I can't stand the settings and how this place is updated J. But anyways, on with the show and my many thanks for taking the time to read it, I appreciate your thoughts and comments!

~gok~

"Hey loser, where have you been the past zillion years?" came the voice, barely audible and greatly familiar over the buzzing of the crowds of people pressing into and out of one another in the midst of downtown Satan City traffic. 

Goten turned around, not sure who had said the voice, his duffel bag slung over one shoulder, his black leather jacket parted to reveal an old orange gi given to him from his father some years ago as someone walked by and brushed it. The 19 year old blinked and knotted his brow in confusion as he stopped in the flow of the moving populace, looking around. 

Having inherited his father's height and proportional build, Goten was a rather powerful presence in the crowd of business suits and casual clothing; while most people seemed either overly straight up and tall from some pride or arrogance or slumped with the weight of a worked and stressful day, he walked with an air of naïve dignity that was unique to the Son family name; almost stupid as far as one could tell from his face though emotionally in tune with all about him. However, that had nothing to do with him at that moment as his face suddenly lit up as he caught light of the person he had heard, a grin breaking over it and the other's.

"Trunks! Is that really you?" he laughed, nearly leaping forward and slinging his duffel over his back. 

Grinning from across the street stood the handsome yet boyish looking 20 year old he could barely recognize, his purplish-blue hair chopped off into a short and sharp business crew cut, a matching business suit and briefcase at his side, though the top button was undone and the tie worn like a punk rocker's. His face was pressed into a friendly smile as he watched Goten lift up over the crowd and into the lesser populated air traffic, zipping quickly above the automobiles still used on the ground and slamming into Trunks with a rather unexpected oomph.

"Whoa man, you don't have to get all emotional for one thing." Trunks interjected as Goten opened his mouth in a wide and goofy grin, pulling the slightly smaller-framed man into his arms and nearly crushing him. Trunks' eyes bugged out though with good humor as he returned the hug with a little less enthusiasm, though it was evident they hadn't seen each other for 2 years.

The crowd seemed to vanish as Goten let go and looked his old best friend up and down; obviously the high stature of both his mother and father had gotten the best of him, as snazzy and intellectual as Trunks looked, though also regretful of it in his eyes. Goten was nearly the exact opposite; his old fighting gi and well-worn traveling duffel hung on his well-defined body, and after his friend rubbed his chest sympathetically from the rather abrupt and crushing hug, he returned it with a little less enthusiasm, though it was evident they hadn't seen each other for 2 years.

"What's wrong, out of shape?" Goten teased, punching Trunks on the shoulder, who quipped back, "Hey muscle-head, I'm the one who stayed back to take up an advanced business major while you went out abroad for a 2 year quest to find yourself. Are you still looking or should I send you to yourself when you find yourself?" 

 Goten blinked and then shook his head, letting the comment slide by; he didn't have the patience to try to figure out whatever that meant, though he caught the gist of its basic essence.

"Well at least if some all-mighty super-villain were to come parading by I could save the planet." He raised his eyebrows, stepping back and folding his arms in anticipation.

Trunks laughed and shook his head. "I could raise the morality of the planet using seven easy steps of business etiquette and then provide for you to have an increased Spirit Bomb for the final battle so nyah. That and you know my father, so don't think I'm that out of shape."

Trunks mock-flexed and nearly burst his suit as his slim body doubled out and then returned, making Goten chuckle, the two stopping to gaze at one another, each holding his own reminiscences. After what seemed forever, Trunks broke the silence by offering a tilt of his head and a slight chuckle, gleaming his white golden smile and grabbing Goten by the shoulder. Spinning the other around, he lifted into the air and motioned with a nod towards a tall gleaming dome near the center of the city, an unmistakable site of historic and great value; the classic CC Complex. 

"Come on, my mom will be dying to hear from you, and I'm sure Chichi will want to hear from you too after leaving for a two year training personal quest. Not to mention your niece is dying to see you." Trunks grinned, making Goten's big grin get bigger, a chuckle flying into the wind aside the two as they flew slowly, enjoying the breeze and memories coming back to them.

~~~

Capsule Corporation was just as Goten had remembered; off-white, clean and full of junk, yet ever evolving. The pair of old best friends landed on the big front garden where Trunks' grandmother tended the flowers, looking as stupid and squinty eyed as ever (Did she ever open those eyes, he wondered absently) as she spoke to the plants. The front was presently being fixed by a younger gentleman attaching a new holographic projector, the inside redecorated for a main lobby hallway. 

"Wow, the old place looks nice, bigger even." Goten commented, placing a hand on the back of his head and laughing at some inner laugh. Trunks rolled his eyes and stepped beside and then quickened his pace in front of him, headed to the front desk.

"Yeah well stocks are up, Capsule Corporation is still the planet's main provider of everything technological, what can I say?" he winked, turning to lean on the desk and flash a famously adorable smile at the secretary sitting there, a young blond lady with a large bust and piercing blue eyes who rolled her eyes at his good looks as if it were an everyday occurrence.

"What can I get for you now?" she asked as he slipped the black case on the countertop, still grinning as he cast a smug yet childishly goofy look at Goten, who stood quite busy with gazing at the nearest computer screen's screen saver, a girl leaping to and fro in a skimpy outfit shooting ki blasts and performing stunts.

"Can you tell my mom or dad that I'm back from Mr. Satan's house with the latest advertisement for the next World Martial Art's Tournament." He stated in his best sexy voice, though obviously overdoing it, making the receptionist chuckle. 

"Your father's training and your mom's over at Gohan's house picking up Bra." She stated, as Trunks smiled, thinking of a way to try to win her over for nothing more than the hell of it; it was mainly their standing joke. "And no I don't want to go to your room or hang out with you, you wouldn't enjoy it quite as much I'm afraid." She stuck her tongue back out, leaning on the counter and putting her nose nearly by his, obviously enjoying it. Goten remained entranced with a puzzled look on his face as he watched the fighting overly busted woman screen-saver.

"Well… what do you propose I do Tracy?" he asked sarcastically.

            "Why don't you leave it with me seeing as I am your family's personal assistant?" she replied equally as tight, pressing her lips not to laugh.

            "Her fighting is flawless, who designed this screen saver?" Goten suddenly broke in, ruining whatever was going on between the two friends, making Tracy tap her pen on Trunks' nose and lean back in her chair to get back to her computer.

            "My dad did, isn't it obvious with the big-boob chick?" Trunks replied absent-mindedly as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and grabbing it to pull him away from the easily amusing screen with more grip than really needed, though he wore a funny face and let go of his friend uneasily. "Why don't we go visit him actually, when was the last time we sparred?" 

            Goten went slightly wide-eyed and kept up his grin. "Wow… I don't know when I last gave you an ass-kicking."

            "Ha! I'm the one who always beat you."  
            "Yah right mister business suit." Goten laughed at his older saiyan halfling as they moved down the hallway towards the training room.

~~~

            Tracy looked at her computer screen quietly as she filed more documents and inserted the disk Trunks had given her. On her screen popped up a big picture of a gorgeous nude man grinning at her with "Hey sexy chicklette!" scribbled over his chest. She laughed and deleted the picture, opening Mr. Satan's latest advertisement for the tournament approaching in a few months and scanning it.

            The front door slid open with a barely audible hiss she knew all too well, causing her too look up as Billy the new maintenance man came in, short, blond and green eyed and wearing a faded blue maintenance outfit over a tough wiry little body. She had had her eye on him since he came, as friendly and nice, as he was, though a little quiet. 

            "Hey Tracy, I'm done with the new front sign so I thought I'd head out, okay?" he stated, looking at her with a faint smile as his eyes followed the pair of men walking down the hall nearby. "Who's the new guy?" he gestured towards them with a slight nod of his head, a powerful yet faint aura rolling off of Goten's presence.

            "I'm not sure, Trunks didn't even bother introducing us, but I think that's Goten though from some of the family pictures I've seen."

             "Goten?" he asked, tilting his head and letting his eyebrow length locks spill into the lowered eye.

            "Yah, Goku's son. Surely you know of Goku."

            "Oh, Goten-helped-save-the-world-Goten…" Billy nodded in an acknowledging and queer voice, pursing his lips thoughtfully and turning around, slapping the counter as he began to leave. "Well I'm out, see you tomorrow, I'll be in bright and early for the gym as always."

            "Night Billy." Tracy smiled, watching his cute ass, making an appreciative noise in her throat. 'And thank god for working around so many gorgeous guys.' She thought to herself, smiling and chewing the end of her pen before returning to work.

            "Night Tracy." He stated, walking out the door and taking to the sky once he had cleared the garden. 'And good night to you Goten…' he smiled, blaring into the breeze above, his outfit twirling about him.

            "Nice day for some water, isn't it sweeties?" Mrs. Briefs hummed, emptying her watering can on the flowers below as he passed overheard.

~~~


	2. Chapter 2: Powering up the plot

*Author's Note*

Well here goes the next addition to this story, though I'd like to add that I noticed another error of repetition and some improper indentations (Or lack thereof) in chapter one that I'm too lazy to fix and reload, so forgive me. I think I'll take my time here to say that if you're wondering why this story is rater R, it's because I won't hold back at all when I write it; some chapters may be incredibly PG or barely even reach PG-13. On the flip side those of you who don't enjoy more graphic or even (Possibly, should I take this that far when I get to it) sexual scenes I'm warning you now, though I really don't see why you would be *that* offended by any of the sorts and I know I can't go too past R. (Damnit all for removing the NC-17, damnit all!) Well there goes that and here goes chapter 2!

            Trunks reached a hand around the corner of the locker room and flicked on the lights, showering the benches and lockers with light. Stepping over into one column and opening a locker there, Trunks gestured to an open and empty one three down the way as he slipped his tie off of his head and threw it in. 

            "As you can see these facilities aren't used as often as we would hope, though they are pretty much the best part of the entire complex thanks to dad." Trunks absent-mindedly stated as he pulled off the business suit and T-shirt, exposing his wiry yet well-toned chest and abdomen, which Goten stared at as he pulled off the leather jacket he wore.

            "No wonder I can't sense him; did your mom finally perfect the power level masker or did your dad learn how to mask his power that well?" Goten grinned, throwing his duffel into the locker and loosening his orange training gi.

            Trunks laughed as he slipped off his dress shoes and socks, finishing by removing his pants though he turned around after noticing through the corner of his eye that his old friend was practically gawking at him. Funny how they had even literally shared a body long ago yet he now felt so uncomfortable around the Son son. Then again considering…

            He shrugged it off and slipped his blue training gi pants on, and then the short sleeve matching shirt, finally turning around as he slipped on the loose battle shoes. The pair regarded one another, Goten wearing an all too familiar lopsided grin and Trunks a more uncomfortable yet happy one.

            "So are you ready to lose horribly or not yet?" Goten stuck out his tongue and flexed, making Trunks roll his eyes yet again.

            "How about we go say hi to my dad first." The young Briefs shook his head, leading the way to a hallway adjacent to the locker room where several large doors lead off. "By the way, how come you've decided to get so big and buff over the past 2 years?"

            As Trunks picked out a door ahead and entered a key-code on the pad near it, Goten thought a bit and then folded his arms as he answered. "Remember my older brother was my mentor and he ascended to 'Mystic'?"

            "Yay…" Trunks responded as the door made a clicking noise.

            "Well he taught me shortly before I left something our dad had said once before that inspired Gohan to reach Mystic rather than Super 3. Transforming takes so much energy and effort wasted that one might as well be in as strong a basic sense as they can, right?"

            "Yea, just like when your dad and brother stayed in Super Saiyan before the Cell Tournament to retain their strength and keep it growing, I dig." 

            "Well that's what I've really been working on the past two years, retaining as much strength without powering up as I can, and I must say it's working quite well."  
            Trunks laughed as the door clicked open, letting loose several loud banging noises and a waving sense of power levels that nearly knocked the unexpecting pair off their feet. "We'll see when I show you what I've been up to these past two years." 

            Goten's eyes and face contorted into one of amazement and awe as before them in the massive dome-shaped room of off-white Trunks' father leapt to and fro in a frenzied blue, golden waves of energy rippling and cackling to and fro with every stop and move he made. The center of the room held a thin silver pole with a computer terminal jutting from it, from which bleeped the gravity count.

            "Holy shit, 2,000 gees?" Goten blinked, as he looked at his friend, whom grinned with some family pride as he nodded, both outside the open doorway where the gravity didn't yet affect them.

            "Yep, and he's just warming up. Why don't you head in and join him."

            With that Trunks gave his friend a playful shove into the room, whose effects immediately took hold as Goten nearly fell to the floor from the awesome gravitational pull, his muscles bulging slightly as he stood up.

            The air in the room was nearly a red tint from the frictional heat and gravity, sweat breaking out from the Son's face as he turned around to glare playfully though slightly peeved at his friend.

            "Now your turn." Goten stuck out his tongue, to which Trunks replied with a shrug and stepped in, secretly using nearly all his willpower not to buckle under the intense strain.

            "Well, well, well, if it isn't the prodigal Son, so to speak." Came a familiar hoarse voice from next to Goten's ear, making him spin about and nearly ram into the Prince of Saiyans standing beside him. While it was apparent that Goten towered over the shorter Super Saiyan and wasn't even powered up yet, it was also apparent that the far-elder and his smug smirk was far beyond him at this stage, his small yet powerful frame glowing with radiant power.

            "Hi dad, we thought we could join you in a little spar or so." Trunks grinned, making his father nod his head and chuckle, sizing the other young man up with his eyes.    

            Vegeta folded his arms and Goten noted it looked as if the man hadn't aged a year, still wearing the same black and blue training gi clothing he had worn years ago during the Buu battles. If anything had changed about the Saiyan, he mentally noted, it was that he looked… softer almost with his years, as if perhaps he had finally turned into more of the family man he had seemingly sworn to never become. Though that was yet to be revealed, Goten chided himself with a grin.

            "Well I suppose we might as well have a little fun then, hmm? Why don't we all start by powering up to our maxes, not withholding anything of course." Vegeta looked up at Goten and his son, both of whom were taller than he. 

            Goten looked at Trunks and grinned sheepishly, the other doing likewise almost as if the two were afraid to reveal their true strengths to one another after 2 years.

            It was Trunks who broke the sudden silence. "It's time you show me what it is you gained over the last years though isn't it?" the young saiyan grinned, folding his arms in classic Vegeta style and backing up, his father following suit as they gave him plenty of space, the 2,000 gravity forces about them shimmering visibly.

            Goten took a deep and staggered breath through the thick air and spread his legs, unbunching his taught muscles stretching, knees bent, arms hanging in classic battle stance. His energy began to surface from deep within, as he pulled out his inner energies. Goten began to clench his teeth as his hair spiraled up upon his head, muscles bulging out, though not much of a change really was visibly evident.

            Trunks and Vegeta kept silent and watching faces as they watched the young man begin to crunch over, his muscles straining, the ki and chi radiating off of his body and sending ripples through the air.

            Growing curious as he felt the growing power level from his friend, Trunks pulled out a small device from his pocket and placed it in his ear, clicking it once and narrowing his eyes. While he did have a good sense at when someone was far stronger or weaker, or very close or not in terms of power levels, he didn't have the same strong reading that his father had from years of experience in battle and training. In fact, it was rumored that Vegeta could even guess to the nearest thousand power levels someone's strength…

            As a clear ki flame began to flicker and twirl about Goten, slowly gaining a golden tint, Trunks clicked the small thing in his ear and listened to it.

            "Registering… power reading 190g and rising rapidly… 198g…" 

(*Author's note: rather than write out 190 million, I'll use g as an abbreviation for million and k for thousand when it comes to halves and such… thanks! *)

            Trunks nodded his head while keeping his face neutral; not much there, though impressive for not turning Super Saiyan yet. In fact the highest Trunks had ever reached without changing state was 140…

            The young man was snapped out of his thoughts as the device in his head suddenly bleeped and he felt a sudden splurge of force from his friend, whom had suddenly exploded, and he meant exploded, into Super Saiyan. Goten's long Goku-style hair rippled up and changed bright blond, his aura flashing gold, his muscles growing even larger than they already were.

            "302g… 303g…" the device stated coolly as Goten began to breath quickly, the ground under him quivering slightly.

            Trunks had to admit he was impressed… Goten looked to be somewhere between Super 1 and 2, and was at this power level already. Thankfully his training as a businessman held his face neutral, though his eyes would give it away to a shrewder person. Vegeta merely smirked and kept his look, his golden hair spiked up but no aura upon his strong yet calm body.

            "All the way huh?" Goten asked, winking like his father as he stretched out his arms as if grabbing something. "Then you'd best hold onto something…"

            With those final words he literally screamed, a horrible yell of manhood and power, his muscles flaring out as he brought his arms in and clenched everything up, back snapping and arching. Lightning danced across his body, his aura snapping out to crack at Trunks' and Vegeta's faces, literally knocking them back several feet until they were able to gain ki ground, leaning forward slightly. 

            'Shit, he wasn't kidding…' Trunks blinked, eyes wide with near disbelief.

            "488g… 494g… 501g…"

            "Rrrraaaarggghhhhh!!!" Goten's scream blended into the howl of the wind screeching from his growing strength, his green eyes wide awakened with the lightning which transfigured about him.

            Trunks had to build up his own power level to keep himself from being blown backwards, though his father was curiously motionless, arms still folded over his chest. Trunks on the other hand needed to lean forward and place his arms out before him.

            As the ground began to quiver it was obvious Goten was finally evening out, calming himself as his powerful ki flared about him. Grinning broadly and folding his arms confidently over his chest, Goten took a more natural standing pose, the ki pulling in and becoming more of a hug than a flame about him.

            "532g established power level." The device in Trunks' ear quipped, as Vegeta stared almost thoughtfully at the young man, his son blinking in withheld astonishment.

            "Now you son…" Vegeta stated after sometime, looking at his son as the corner of his mouth turned up slightly. While the Prince knew his son didn't train nearly as much as he would like him to, (Vegeta did nearly nothing but train… that and sleep…) he also knew the younger man had accomplished something quite amazing in his free time during one particular training session a month or so previous… astonishing that Goku's son hadn't yet achieved that after two years of nothing but training…

            Trunks gulped and then nodded, amazed by his friend's accomplishment yet suddenly growing cocky feeling. 

            "Unlike you I think I'll go right for the gold instead of your little five hour power up." The man stuck out his tongue sarcastically, spreading out his legs and furling his fists.

            As the smug yet curious Goten watched his best friend suddenly gather his energy to him, Vegeta could barely contain his grin. At last he had something over Goku…

            The veins that coursed through Trunks' body felt as if they were on fire, his body glowing bright gold. His eyes immediately changed green-turquoise, his muscle mass doubling immediately, short hair spiking up and changing gold. Yet Trunks hadn't even broken a sweat it would seem, his arms held motionless beside him. His power level was steadily increasing, his ki bubbling up beneath the surface… Trunks could feel his hold on life and his own life force increasing… 

            'Channel the anger, channel the frustration…' Trunks reminded himself as he held his smirk, though inwardly he felt the queasiest and oddest feeling as butterflies flapped in his powerful stomach, his gaze held on his best friend's peaceful, cute and curious face…

            He was in Super 2, he knew it, though he didn't care at the time as he had yet to reach his maximum even in that state… at the moment it was all about ascending, as his present power level in even the second state could be surpassed by himself in first state…

            "Rrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaarrrrr…ARRRGH!" Trunks doubled backwards, feeling primal forces course through his veins. 'Focus, focus, focus… now!' his mind scourged, his body feeling as if it were going to literally tear apart from the energy ready to explode from it.

            "270g… 278g… 290g… 400g…" the device suddenly clicked as with a flash of lightning (Literally one might add) Trunks' body doubled in muscle-height proportion, growing several inches taller, his hair glowing bright white and snapping out…

            Vegeta was ear-to-ear grinning… Goten was wide eye open mouth gawking… and Trunks was a Super Saiyan 3rd form.

            Laughing almost sinisterly yet also with good humor, Trunks folded his arms, hair down at his ankles and nearly sweeping the floor.

            "680g established power level." The device chirped silently in Trunks' ear.

            Silence filled the room as the pair of others regarded Trunks, though Trunks still had his eyes upon his old friend, a warm sensation in his stomach at the feeling of his old friend admiring his strength.

            "Wow… but… how?" Goten gulped, still staring.

            It was Vegeta who answered, before Trunks could reply.

            "Amazing, isn't it?" he laughed with an arrogant chuckle. "I was even surprised at it myself when he ascended in the middle of one of our few training sessions a month ago. I had been beating him with relative ease, chiding him for not taking his Saiyan heritage and family name seriously at that particular time. Naturally it wasn't totally true, though I was trying my best to enrage him. I had felt the potential in him since after you left, sensed the frustration and loneliness…"

            Trunks blushed slightly and looked down, making Goten try to decipher why he blushed; because he had missed his friend so, or because he was being so obviously praised by his father and his story.

            "Suddenly, as I had him bleeding and beaten at my feet, I was able to make him do it. 'Get up you fucking weakling of a Saiyan!' I screamed at him, kicking him in the abdomen. 'You don't deserve to be my son, let alone be loved by me or anyone else! You know who I'm talking about too, don't you?'" Vegeta smirked, recalling as his son turned a fiercer shade of red in front of him, his emotions as readable as an open book, making Goten's face knot up in thought.

            'You…' he thought, blinking as he suddenly realized it was true… as much as he had hoped, was it really true?

            "Yes Goten, it's true… and it was then that he did it, after one final yell at him. I was ready to beat him in the face; to spark what I knew would inspire his transformation. 'Weak faggot of a Saiyan.' I had yelled..."

            Vegeta smiled at his son like a snake at its prey, yet with eyes glimmering of pride.

            "It was then he beat me back and gave me enough of a surprise beating to keep me in the rejuvenation chamber for a day, all by ascending."

            Goten went wide-eyed for a moment before forcing his face back to neutral, taking a gulp as his friend across from him did so equally, though it looked almost as if his friend were near tears, staring at the floor.

            Vegeta shook his head and chuckled.

            "But enough of that boys… why don't I call this sudden break off by showing you what you should be achieving yourselves?" he grinned, finally unfurling his folded arms.

            Trunks even looked up at his father, wiping a hand absent-mindedly at his eyes and breathing in deeply and suddenly, Goten tearing his eyes from his friend to the father of the same.

            "Indeed you are both incredibly powerful… pathetically so, at your age I was an insignificant insect… but you still have far to go." The Prince smirked.

            It was sudden, so sudden that the boys beheld before them one moment a calm and weak looking Super Saiyan, the next moment a force to be reckoned with.

            Vegeta stood before them, bulging with Super 2 might, lightning dancing about him as his eyes stood on the verge of pure white with tiny green dotted eyes…

            "700g established power level." Trunks' machine whispered in his ear with a crackle, the two boys staring in astonishment.

            "Now then stop gawking at me and let's call this sudden power level reunion to a close… how long will you be staying Goten?" Vegeta broke their silence, folding his arms and motioning with a hand to the computer controls at the center of the room. With a click the gravity returned to normal, and the boys nearly floated into the air with the less strain upon their bodies.

            "Uh… I'm probably home for good." Goten smiled lightly, though he had moved his gaze to Trunks, whom looked at the floor again.

            Vegeta nodded, and after staring through narrow eyes at his son for a moment, suddenly powered down, his hair black and his body normal, arms still folded.

            "Very well then…" The Prince seemed to think a moment and then smirked slightly. "What say we all come in here bright and early tomorrow morning for a little training session?"  
            With that the Prince left the room with the two silent young men, one looking dejectedly and filled with private thoughts at the floor… the other at the other's sad features with question.

~~~

            It was in the locker room several minutes later that Trunks found himself by his locker, back turned on his friend as he peeled off his sweaty shirt and threw it on the floor, his face bunched up as he forced down the tears. He felt weak and easy prey to his friend, whom he could feel staring at his back, no doubt with some silent contempt. They hadn't spoken since Vegeta had spoken…

            Trunks couldn't believe it; his father had clearly stated what Trunks had felt for years before his best friend, the man he had secretly crushed on for so long… He had been so truly torn from Goten's departure 2 years ago and had been so happy yet confused at his return.

            Trunks stifled a choked tear and slammed a hand into the locker beside his, crushing through the metal as his eyes glimmered and winced.

            "Trunks…" Goten's calm voice came to his nearly unhearing ears, a light fingertip brushing his back.

            The other man twisted away and stumbled into a bench a few feet back from him, tears welling up in his eyes, his bare abdomen stressfully tensed.

            "Just… leave me alone, okay?" Trunks managed to blink away the tears, waving an arm at his friend, whose eyes stared at him sadly. "I… I…"  
            Goten looked down as Trunks spun away, finally tearing towards the showers and casting off his pants and shorts at the same time. The Saiyan son of Goku finally looked up to catch the right thigh of his old friend turning the corner, and to hear the sound of water spraying on.

            Trunks stood under the searing hot shower water for what seemed years, letting it pore into his face, streaking down his body, the steam curling into his nose and mouth as his tears blended into the water.

            'Why father, why? Why did you have to do that, make me reveal my feelings to you, and then in there reveal them for me to him? Why?' his mind cursed, fists clenched as he leaned into the tiled wall behind the shower, throat choked up.

            'Goten… you finally come back and now you'll surely go… or even worse…' 

            Even worse, Trunks thought, Goten would be forever uncomfortable around him, always watching, always fearful his old friend would put a move on him.

            'Why…'

            A footstep was barely audible in the doorway of the public shower room, making Trunks cast a look from the corner of his eye, tearing himself from his dark private thoughts. Goten stood there in the doorway, uncomfortably looking at the ground, almost trying not to look at Trunks' nude body, searing a red tint under the hot water and his tears.

            "Trunks…"

            The man looked back down and gulped as if he were swallowing gravel. 

            "Please… go away." He managed to reply.

            Goten looked at his friend and stepped into the shower, feeling the sadness and confusion, anger and fear waving off of his friend like the steam from the showerheads.

            "I can't… I'm your friend remember?" he managed a slight smirk, though Trunks kept his face turned down.

            Goten sighed, rubbing his temples with one arm, his other arm grabbing the corner of the doorway to the shower before he stepped towards his friend, placing a hand on Trunks' warm wet shoulder.

            Trunks tried to flinch away, but felt too emotionally weak to bear his strength.

            "Trunks…" Goten stated more forcefully, grabbing the other young man's soft face and pulling it up to eye level, making him open his eyes. 

            Goten nearly gasped; he had never seen his friend's eyes so sad and icy blue, resolved to doom since Vegeta had died so many years ago… 

            "Please Goten, it's hard enough not needing to confront it… I'm sorry for never-"

            Goten shook his head, holding his hand fast to his friend's chin as he tried to pull away.

            "No, I'm sorry for never realizing it myself. I never wanted to admit it, but now…"

            Trunks' eyes blinked in the steamy hot water and tears as he changed from sad to confused.

            "What?"

            "Shh…" Goten managed a weak smile, shaking his head. "Please, I should have done this long ago… I'm so sorry Trunks."

            Trunks stared into his friend's deep brown eyes fearfully at first, and then with curious awe as he fell into the love held within.

            Goten pulled his friend's face up to his own and parted his lips, placing them upon the other's, the water from the shower head pouring onto their naked bodies as they no longer cared. Trunks felt his grief pulled away in that moment… he had dreamed for it nearly all his life.

            The two were lost in the kiss for eternity, pulling their bodies towards one another in a slow and loving embrace… only to lose themselves as the embrace turned passionate, years of pent up confusion letting loose, their hands becoming living extensions of their lust and love... Only the showerheads could match the heat of the moment, and when the two at last came from the shower room nearly an hour later…

            Reconciliation and love had replaced the secret happiness and confusion in their eyes, and drying off and changing back into their clothes the pair shared one more kiss before leaving the room.

~~~

            Vegeta looked at his watch from his armchair in the grandiose and beautiful living room of the CCHQ living quarters, turning his gaze away from the evening news.

            "I haven't had an hour long shower like that since before Bulma left for her last business trip last month. Wonder if she'll be in the mood to get dirty and then clean up tonight…" he mumbled absent-mindedly as the sound of the door to the living room opened and the two young men came in quietly with secret smiles, flopping down on opposite sides of the couch in front of the TV.

            'At least I'll have some entertainment for awhile while they sneak around as if I have no clue… ah, teenage love.' Vegeta smirked, turning up the volume of the news and leaning back to get comfortable for the show coming, and not just the one on the television…


	3. Chapter 3: Insight into the Briefs Bunch

~Author's Note~

            Yay, I decided to start a fancier new "Author's Note" here, so whatever even though by the incredibly *small* amount of reviews I've had I'm sure not too many care at the moment; so whoever is reading this, be honest about it to both me and my friends; tell me if it sucks so I can adjust, or tell me it's great so I can continue and you can tell your friends to read it too! ^_^

            Anyways, I sat down today and wasted my science class time to dribble down a 4-page thought sheet that formed a sort of outline for the first huge chunk of this fan-fic so I finally have a clue where I'm really going and can do what I do even better, hopefully, though sometimes an outline throws me off in terms of quality as I tend to hurry to the next point on it, so let me know if I seem like I'm rushing the storyline. In this short chapter I've tried to show some insight into the Vegeta-Briefs family as well as the usual fun stuff. Anyways, the disclaimer that I don't own DBZ, any characters I make up are mine, and all that stuff I forgot the past two chapters are all here right now, let me know if I have to do the stupid thing on top and enjoy!

~gok~

            Trunks awoke to the sound of shuffling feet nearby, his eyes opening and squinting as he found his bedroom light shining down on him brightly, covers twisted about his boxers and T-shirt clad body. 

            'What the…' was the saiyan's first thought as he pushed himself up and looked over at the figure shuffling through his dresser drawers; Goten was apparently looking for something, though Trunks could only smile slightly with a glow of love yet confusion hidden in his blue eyes. Last night had been… special…

            The evening before had been rather uneventful, he added in a less arousing retrospect as he itched his short blue-purple hair with one hand and stretched with the other, stifling a yawn just barely and making Goten turn around and offer him a lopsided grin, his muscled bare chest gleaming with morning perspiration.

            Bulma had returned to find Vegeta snoozing in his armchair with the television turned to MTV as Trunks and Goten scrambled away from the couch where they had been momentarily cuddling to opposing yet "friendly" sides. She had obviously been shocked that Goten had returned, and with a 6-year-old eye-rolling Bra in tow and an armful of groceries had somehow managed to embrace and exclaim over him nonetheless. Trunks had stood by somewhat awkwardly as Bulma proceeded to wake up her husband (Whom wasn't too pleased and after a little couple argument went back to sleep) and run about making a dinner fit for a king --- or a family of hungry saiyans and half-saiyans. 

            Goten had proclaimed that he intended for his return to be a secret yet to his family until the morning after he had gotten a lot better looking and psyched up, or so he had claimed, and the dinner had gone off quite well. Afterwards, the family had continued to lounge and talk, Bra was reintroduced to her best friend's uncle whom she barely recalled from 2 years before, and they had turned in early for the night. 

            "Maybe they shouldn't have let us stay in your room." Goten quipped suddenly, making Trunks snap out of his thoughts and open a drawer next to his best friend and pull out some fresh underclothes, their shoulder's bumping and making them glance at one another uncomfortably.

            "Yah, you made a mess of my nice and clean room." Trunks stuck out his tongue, gesturing towards his rather large and rich looking room, which the night before had been grandiose and clean as if by a maid. (Goten had thought it probably was though the way his friend had changed from wild-child to rich yet intellectual being could have fooled him.) The huge bed in the middle had been made, the lounge-chairs, loveseat, and television, everything in its place. Through the course of the night of "rough-housing" it had been considerably redecorated and turned into what resembled a dorm-room.

            Trunks shook his head from his thoughts and went to his personal (And equally technological, well-furnished and rich) bathroom and took a shower as Goten waited outside, thinking with a grin about the possibility of sneaking in the shower with him, though he pushed it off and took his turn, the pair arriving downstairs to find Vegeta impatiently finishing off a plate of breakfast and reading the newspaper.

            "About time you ladies came down, time for some real training to begin." He looked up, chortling slightly as he shook his head and swallowed some coffee to remove the thoughts that were creeping into his head. Way too many thoughts by too many people, he assumed, this morning.

            "Morning dad."

            "Morning Vegeta."

            The boys quickly sat down and shoveled in their warm breakfast as fast as Bulma could bring it to the table; Goten naturally was last to finish, several helpings afterwards of course. 

            "Goten, have you decided on whether or not you'll be having that surprise party for your mother and brother tonight or tomorrow night? I have everything we need, and I can't keep Bra from seeing, talking to, calling or chatting with Pan forever. She was already bugging me to see your niece bright and early this morning, though I told her she could train with you guys instead." Bulma asked from the expansive kitchen counter where she pulled out a tray of sausages from a strange silver machine that seemed to work like something from the Jetsons, though was in fact a modern everyday appliance of technology.

            Goten swallowed a handful of sausages and made an excuse cover from the answer by slurping some orange juice as Trunks blinked in accordance with his father at the blue-haired woman.

            "Bra's training with us? But she can't even exceed two-hundred gees, and we were going to do some extreme training!" Trunks groaned, catching his father's eye, the elder's face nearly unreadable though the 20-year-old knew his father enough to catch the subtle ki sense that he wasn't too pleased but already had accepted it; Trunks had heard his parents had always argued a lot when he was younger, though as of the last few years it was a mutual agreement they always seemed to have; what Bulma wanted she got, what Vegeta wanted he got, whenever they wanted opposite things they'd either still get it or come to some incredibly ludicrous compromise after a quick and snarling battle of wits, though they always seemed normal afterwards.

            Bulma picked up a plate from the counter and sat down to eat seeing her husband lean back as he customarily did whenever he finished eating (Vegeta was a light eater for a saiyan; three or four servings rather than the normal six or seven, or ten plus for a member of the Son family) while Goten chugged another pitcher of OJ and burped loudly, stretching his arms.

            "We'll just have to put off the extreme training to another day and teach your sister how to fight then, won't we?" Vegeta winked, making Trunks roll his eyes though he couldn't contain a chuckle. It had been Vegeta's goal to make all his children as strong as they could be; while many human parents of some cultures may have been upset that one of their children would be a female, in saiyan general hierarchy it didn't matter; in fact, excluding the Royal Family, whose child was whose didn't matter as much as how strong that child was to the general race and secondly its parents. Thus, from the time Bra knew how to crawl she was subjected to increases in gravity, starting with 15 (Naturally being a saiyan she could easily stand 10x Earth's forces) and working her way up, training into passive battle stances and moves as her father and brother both mock and really trained with her. In fact, Trunks thought in retrospect, she was possibly as strong as he was at 6, and definitely smarter. As much as he would like to claim he had taken his mother's brains and his father's battle genius, he had more of an uneven blend of 60% second, 40% first, while his sister had the exact opposite. She may not have been quite as naturally skilled at battle, or yet anyways, but she was already starting Calculus-level mathematics in her accelerated classes at the Satan City Special Education Facility, while her classmates stood back in her dust struggling with basic number-comprehension.

            Snapping him out of his thoughts, Bra chuckled from somewhere in the living room as a loud curse word was heard from the television.

            "Honey, I thought I said no Osborne's before lunch!" Bra shouted though she didn't appear to care.

~~~

            Vegeta was the first to open the main graviton's door with Goten, Trunks and Bra suited up in lightweight training gear behind him, the digital display on the wall behind them reading 7:47am. It was also he who first held up a hand to prevent entry to the room as the sleek door slid into the wall, revealing a room set to 3,000 gees and a silent figure standing alone with closed eyes and relaxed pose in the classic Yoga tree-pose.

            Trunks was the first to talk through knitted brow and bedazzled clear-blue eyes.

            "Billy?" he asked, though Vegeta grabbed his mouth in a firm grip and shook his head, the backside of the spiky black tips bobbing with his silent belaboring. 

            Indeed it was the new handy man, his short blond hair not even bent under the stress of the graviton; no aura came from his body, his perfect creamy and handsome face serene as a still water lake at dusk beneath tuffs of cumulus, his body dressed in a simple red tunic, his seemingly small and agile muscles not even bulged to the air. And oddest of all, even with the door that sealed in the ki-chi-hider open, no sense of living other than perhaps a twinge of level 1 ki came from him.

            Bra fidgeted and simultaneously Billy popped open an eye, glancing at them and then coming out of his pose, gesturing a hand at the controls and turning the gravity to normal as he started towards them in one swift movement. Vegeta was, needless to say, both shocked inside and externally furious.

            "Tell me now what you were doing in there and how you were able to sustain those levels of gravity without stress!" he stated through aggressively gritted teeth, a vein popping in his forehead, one fist clenched as his son and his son's best friend behind him each held a protective hand on young curious Bra's shoulders.

            Billy sighed long and sadly almost as his secret eyes looked down a moment to ponder, body totally relaxed and neutral in stance.

            "I was taking advantage of the training facilities and I apologize for causing you any grief. Shall I say that I am a stronger person than I appear and leave it at that?" he finally stated calmly.

            Vegeta was the same height as him as they stood a meter apart. At last, as the fire from his father's eyes dimmed, Trunks noted the change in his sense; Vegeta was going to let Billy go, after seeing what he was capable of and not knowing anymore more than he was a good studious worker whom had just been hired a month ago? Every fiber in Trunks' body screamed protest though he was curious and didn't want a confrontation. Shit, 3,000 gees and he wasn't even… powered up?

            Goten stepped aside and pulled Bra with him, the girl looking up at him and then Billy as the adult's business swept past; however intelligent she was she wasn't intellectually mature enough to fully realize what was occurring here, though her father's inherent gut told her something had changed in everyone. 

            Billy walked to the locker room down the hall and went in, leaving the bewildered "family" outside staring after him, excluding the Prince, whom stared deeply into the graviton.

            "Let's get our training done with, we stop at noon. It would appear we have a new reason to train." Came his words at last in a pressed and serious tone, one that even Bra was able to realize as the end to any fun that morning, as Trunks and Goten exchanged frustrated looks. Not only was there something far more intriguing than the approaching Son Family Reunion and the two young men's secret affair, but also now the maintenance man whom worked around them all day long was quite possibly as strong as if not stronger than they, and had just strode past them without a care in the world?

            'I have a feeling this isn't going to be the start of anything as fun as we'd hoped…' Trunks shot his friend an "Ugh…" look and telepathic message, to which Goten could only respond with a shrug.

            'I can't train hard and not eat till noon…' Goten finally added telepathically as he was last to enter the room. 'I'm hungry already!'


	4. Chapter 4: Classic Cliffhanging 101

~Gokunion's Dribbling~

            Alright people, Gary finally decided he wanted to sit down and write something, so he's going to use what writing ability he has at the moment and let it go. (Obviously he's me and I'm writing in 3rd person, though if he or I continue it much longer I'm sure he'll get a few turned heads ^_^)

            ANYWHO, I thought I'd take this "Author's note" time to have fun describing a few simple fun things; firstly, I'd like to take the time to point to another article which I have decided to add to fanfiction.net, a "Power Levels Revealed" list I created back when I ran an RPG; I believe this to be the most accurate of the 2nd variation of DBZ power levels, as I certainly spent enough time making a "system" to RPG and gain "power / ki" by, as well as theorizing these things. (Okay, so I had a lot of free time in the past!)

             That's about all I have to say other than the usual disclaimer that I do not own Dragon Ball Z; if I did, I would still be expanding the universe instead of letting Funimation having dictatorial control over it and ruining what they will ^_^;

            Well then, on with the show!

Vegeta was the first in the vast white room, quickly spinning on his white training boot fitted toe to slip into a casual posture, arms folded as he waited for the two young men and his daughter to come into the room. The prince wore a rather irksome yet familiar frown on his features, his small but betraying demeanor portraying pure impatience.

            "Alright Bra, I want you to jump right in whenever you want to, there is an infirmary down the hall in case you come too near to death." Vegeta quickly stated to his daughter with a sharp look before looking at his son and rival's second son, both of who walked slowly towards him with the girl between them. They needed to begin immediately, his mind raced, as he tried to run through the options of whomever the Billy kid really was; he had hired him himself, he seemed like an average, silent and hardworking man, and he had never gotten a reading, good or otherwise, or even an energy signature beyond normal from him. This actually had the man slightly frightened at his core; had he misjudged the young man whom had suddenly shown up seeking employment? And 6,000 gees, with what appeared to be no strain and enough control to not let out more than 5 levels of energy?

            Trunks was naturally one to gawk slightly at his father's comment to his sister, snapping the Saiyan out of his trance. "Um… Father, maybe we should make Bra sit this one out?" he asked in a quick unsure voice, not wanting to be the one to argue though he was; he knew his sister was a great fighter for her age, but he really didn't want her to get in the way, slow down their training, or even worse, get hurt…

Goten stood with a blank but focused look on his face as the original Saiyan warrior growled in his throat. He was already getting hungry, how could he stand an entire training session like this? Then again, he *did* manage 2 years of physical training before… yah, he could handle it! He was a Son after all! Go Son Family go, he grinned to himself.

Bra looked up between her father and big brother, her small battle suit of black with blue stripes material shifting under her straining neck. Why did they have to waste time? Shouldn't they be started already? Surely if whomever the maintenance man was that gave them enough of a fright was a threat, they should be geared up right away! 

'Dumb adults…' she thought abstractly, turning her gaze to the graviton controls as the two began to argue.

"No Trunks, I don't think she should sit this out. She is a Saiyan warrior princess, not a sissy human girl." Vegeta glared back, daughter nodding her head off to the side in agreement, his son matching his father's wits; years earlier, before Trunks' many battle experiences in both combat and politics of company expenditures, the purple-haired man would never have been a match for the piercing gaze that could hold Kakarot's own. However, he was working on it, Vegeta had to give him that much credit.

"Being Saiyan or not has nothing to do with it."

"You're changing the subject. No political maneuvers in the training room."

"Thought I'd point it out; look at Number 18 and Krillin's daughter Maron, she's not exactly weak. Neither are they, for that matter."

"Nice try son, now stop arguing. You know I'm right, we'll need to get her going, and Saiyans grow in strength through vigorous training the best."

"Hey, you know my tests into that field father, and I have proven to you time and again, as you have yourself, that meditation and deep subconscious focus can instigate ki shifts."

"Without the proper chi to back it up, ki can be rather useless."

"Not always."

"You show me someone with nothing but ki who can beat me in combat and I'll bow to that thought, son."

"… Mom wouldn't approve if Bra ends up in a coma with every bone in her body broken."

"…"

Vegeta glared at his son a moment, trying to think of a come-back, as Goten drifted off, as visions of fish and rice danced in his head. It was then and quite suddenly that the youngest of the quartet split the friendly family duel of wits as the gravity in the room suddenly split to a searing 2,500 gees of gravity, throwing the group to the floor.

Trunks felt his energy naturally and defensively rise, but it was his father that was quickest of them all, suddenly pushing himself from the ground and leaping to the air in a spin, frantically turning to view at his daughter.

"Bra!" was the quite clearly audible cry, as the young blue-haired bright-eyed girl lay mashed to the floor, her father landing quickly by her side and lifting her up, extending his ki to encompass her to relieve some of the gravity strain. "Damnit girl!" he strained, though his eyes betrayed the worry, as the girl lay unconscious in his arms, limp with several bones and tissues already crushed.

            Trunks and Goten exchanged looks and were suddenly by the prince's side, whom was quickly rushing to the exit with the girl, thoughts of changing the gravity back suppressed as he worried to get her out. Trunks suppressed a comment about his warnings literally moments before. His sister…

            "Hey, put me down!" came her squealing youthful voice as the girl regained consciousness with a shake and leap in her father's strong arms, looking over at her brother and "Uncle" and feeling quite shamed, which likewise filled her with defiance. Vegeta was at a loss of words, though he stared at her carefully. Obviously he had picked up a soft spot… that he quickly lost as he pushed Bra out of his ki aura and glared at her with his usual demeanor.

            Bra stumbled to the floor but quickly grew a bright white aura, and stood with all her might to keep from slumping again, her body quivering in the heavy gravity that would pancake a normal man. She looked up with angst mixed with determination at her father, fists clenched more so in holding herself together than in anger of any sorts.

            "I was just pretending to be knocked out you know, I wouldn't use a gravity setting I couldn't stand…" she began, though she stopped and winced under the man's hard glare.

            Vegeta stared at her for a moment, mouth half-cracked as words escaped him, until he finally stated, "Don't ever play with the graviton without permission again Bra." Turning around and staring at the back wall, knowing quite well that his son was thinking the same thoughts as he, Vegeta focused on recomposing himself and focusing back on the situation at hand. The prince did have a soft spot for his favorite daughter, and could, gasp, worry? There wasn't any way he could let himself honorably make it known, though he knew it was already quite obvious, it was indeed most of the time. His time being a married man on a peaceful planet had forced him… to adapt, that was it, he reassured himself with a slight grin.

            Trunks felt Goten's comforting and reassuring hand on his shoulder, which he hadn't noticed before when Bra had tumbled, and though he smiled for a millisecond upon this realization, he slipped his shoulder out from under it and rushed over with the excuse of checking over his sister, though she appeared fine, if not a bit worn already and about ready to pass out again.

            There was a momentary silence in the room yet again as Vegeta stared at the wall, Trunks knelt beside his sister and ran a mental look over her for damages (Just a few broken ribs that really weren't anything considering that her muscles were holding that job in her powered-up state, as well as some tender skin tissue) and the Son Family youngster thoughtfully looking at the brother and sister pair.

            "I think she should go Super Saiyan before we do anything else." Goten randomly interjected and thus displaced the sour discouraging mood, his first words since entering the room. Vegeta tilted his head in thought, and Trunks looked back over his shoulder at the young handsome Son behind him. 

            "I'm sure she has the potential, look at her, standing the strain of 2,500 gees of energy; I'm nearly breaking the barrier myself." Trunks stated firmly after a pause of thought, smiling a moment as he caught Goten's thoughtful glance and then looked at Vegeta, folding his arms and shifting his posture to a more negotiator stance.

The young Vegeta-Briefs suddenly felt the perfect way to manipulate the situation come to him. Certainly he didn't want to get his father worked up too much over Billy; there was some investigating over the man to do first before jumping to conclusions. And what better way to distract his father than have his favorite daughter ascend levels, plus be the first Saiyan female in history to do it? Besides, the way Goten kept glancing at Trunks the way he was, Trunks felt an urgency to stop this stupid training idea and get out; the thought had dawned on him that they still hadn't hung out since Goten had returned… yesterday? It seemed like an eternity, so much had happened already… especially between them…

            "You realize she would be the first girl to do it." Goten added, having caught the gist of Trunks' thoughts with a glance and telepathic probe, grinning the famous Son grin.

            Vegeta took some silent time before turning around, his eyes quickly taking in and making a quick series of thoughts click and formulate into one singular pattern of ideas.

            He then suddenly and profoundly held out a hand and with a quick semi-second glance at first his son and then the Son, powered up to Super Saiyan 2 and fired them each in the chest, splaying them to the ground with a loud pair of explosions and an accompanying sickening crunch.

            "You have 3 seconds before I kill your brother, Goten and then you." Vegeta stated coolly, staring down his daughter as he suddenly flared to his maximum power level in the second Super Saiyan form and held out a flat-palmed hand in the classic Big-Bang attack style...

~~~

            Tracy sat in her usual spot in the receptionist desk, her feet up on the counter as she filed her nails absent-mindedly. Why did they pay her again? Ah yes, to baby-sit the Vegeta-Briefs family, not to use her 2-year college courses on professional business management to any good use. But hey, it paid good and the family was nice, fun, amusing and there was never a dull moment…

            The blond looked up as Billy strode quickly past the desk, still wearing his casual sweatpants and ribbed tank top that he usually wore for using the training rooms in the mornings. He was done a little early today, she thought, glancing at the clock and swinging her legs down, straightening her blouse and pretending to find something interesting on the computer screen. At least the choice of clothing hung on his nice firm body… nicely…

            "Hey Billy, done a bit early?" she suddenly spurted, nearly slapping herself for causing the man to pause in his stride; Billy held still a moment and then turned easily around and stared with his neutral look at her, his cool green eyes almost sizing her up in a millisecond despite the many times they had seen one another.

            "Yes I am actually. Vegeta and his family decided to stop in and use the room instead, so I… left." He stated flawlessly, though almost as if he were providing an alibi. 

            "Okay, don't get so defensive." Tracy grinned her award-winning smile as she stood up and walked around the desk in her confident stride, attempting to look and convey sarcasm, though she really was thinking that same thought: why was he so evasive today? He had been even earlier when he had first come in, must have been something to do with Goten… Thankfully, she learned her negotiation poses and movements from the best, Bulma, and managed to convince him to smile sheepishly.

            "I suppose that was rather stated… My apologies."

            "Accepted. So… what are you doing for breakfast? I have break anytime in the next hour, and you forgot to shower…" she winked, though he really wasn't sweating or anything. An odd thought, she marked mentally, he must have either not started to work up a sweat or had already showered but not changed, as whenever he did shower he always seemed as if he hadn't worked out at all. His skin was always flawless and never looked strained, even when he worked outside in the sun…

            "I wasn't planning anything, I thought I would get a start on the video screen for the Tournament."

            Tracy walked a few more paces and put herself a meter from Billy, enjoying her height on her professional heels, which placed her at his height; he must have only been 5'6", because normally she was 5'4", with the heels a tad taller, something else she had never really noticed. Then again, short guys were cute…

            Tilting her hair and letting her curly blond locks scrabble over deliciously, or she hoped so anyways, Tracy smiled kindly.

            "That's boring," she began, spinning and reaching behind the counter to grab her small black purse and returning to face him; Billy was still in the same easy but defensive posture. He must have come from a foreign place or been a member of some military unit, she thought… She shrugged it off and with her great-smile again winked and took his hand like he was a child, albeit a rather cute one. Flashing her pearly whites and putting all the suaveness into her voice as she could, she opened her mouth and leaned in to whisper to him almost conspiratorially, like a 7th grader asking another to borrow a tampon for the first time or to skip a class.

"Let's go get some breakfast, shall we?"


	5. Chapter 5: Breakfast at Tiffany's Tracy'...

~Fun Times~

            Well, aside from my busy life and the horizon of possibilities in my future, I've decided to sit down once more and churn out another chapter; I realize no one is really reading this at the moment, and possibly chapter two turned off a lot of readers, or my lack to "stick to that style" has done the same. Don't worry; unlike most fictions, my idea is to eventually incorporate the romance issues into the more adventure status of the story itself. So those of you who are looking for pure romance or lemon or something, I urge you to look elsewhere unless you want to skip all the chunky meat and find the "blood" in between chapters or whatever.

            Anywho, that's about all I have to say at the moment other than bear with me if you like one end of the spectrum or the other. Those of you who aren't a fan of gay relationships, especially in dragon ball z characters, keep reading; as I said, the romance will be pale compared to the rest, though it will *definitely* be there; kind of a 25%-romance 75%-adventure kind of blend.

            That's enough babble for tonight; enjoy!

~Gary~

            Bra stood heavy with breath, her entire corpse motionless except for her focused blue eyes training upon her father and his out held straight-elbowed arm. Vegeta was likewise motionless with a planted battle grin as smoke swirls came from the two landing areas of the blasted pair of "brothers", Goten and Trunks, each roughly an equidistance from the young girl.

            Vegeta expected her to crush; it was his intention from the start of that fiasco. The three things necessary for a Saiyan to transform were a high base energy level, which she obviously had (His was a mere two million when he first transformed, compared to her unmeasured but extremely high source), a pure heart, which she most certainly had to be displaying, and a trigger of intense emotions. If she thought her brother and "uncle" were dead, indeed she would transform, he reasoned with a straight face pulled from his days before becoming an ally to Goku and his many causes.

            At first Bra appeared everything the prince had hoped her to be: trembling, her energy flaring wildly about her as it suddenly cooled down, a 90% sign of shock, her blue eyes fixed blankly on her father. The smoke ethers slowed their ascent from Trunks and Goten where they lay in crippled states curled over and splayed out. The graviton hummed with the incredible gravity waves it sent out.

            Bra opened her mouth slowly, and then rather sporadically eased her energy within her, just enough to sustain herself from falling under the gravity pressure, and folded her arms, standing with pursed lips and rolling her eyes.

            "Nice try daddy, but not good enough." She finally stated, making Vegeta's out held hand fall down slightly, relaxing from its apparent ready-to-fire stance.

            "Excuse me?"

            Bra rolled her eyes again and leaned back on one foot as she fixed her ponytail with one free hand, glaring rather unamused at the Saiyan man before her.

            "You know what I mean, I'm not stupid you know. There are three things needed to ascend to Super Saiyan, high power level, purity of heart and intense anger or remorse. However, you made a few mistakes. One, with your experience you wouldn't have fired two really flashy shots after powering up to full to take out two powerful fighters when you could easily do so with a fast jab or slicing beam. Two, there is no motive behind your 'killing' of them, let alone me. And three… You're making it all too obvious, which would tie in with number one though…"

            Vegeta's jaw dropped and his shoulders sagged in disbelief.

            "You… you brat you!"

            Trunks and Goten stirred and slowly sat up, the game over; Vegeta had given them each a quick glance and enough of a telepathic "Hey!" that they knew what to do, though at the moment they couldn't help from breaking out in full grins. Bra was swift all right, especially for a 6-year old. Then again, she was a Saiyan, a Vegeta-Briefs, and daughter of Bulma Briefs at that…

            Vegeta growled in frustration and then slapped one hand to his face, holding it there and trying to pull it down.

            'Damnit… kids are too smart these days… she saw right through me!' he cursed himself, golden glow fading to white as his hair let down to black.

            "Well dad, I think we'll have to go back to the newer way of going Super, like I did when I was little." Trunks stated in a calm voice, rolling into a cross-legged sit as Goten did beside him.

            "And what's that?" Vegeta asked in his trademark-annoyed voice, though muffled through his hand. "I don't even know how you became one."  
            "Exactly."  
            Vegeta looked between his fingers.

            "Huh? What's that supposed to mean and how does that help us?"

            Trunks laughed as he continued.

            "Obviously we don't need to follow the 'rules' to a T, because I ascended when I was her age and I at least remember *not* being angry or intensely emotional. Perhaps all she has to do is focus on her energy work, or it'll come naturally sometime soon."

            Vegeta sighed, long and hard, before he finally put his hand down and folded his arms before his chest, scowling. Silence filled the room, excepting the low hum of the machine, the white walls maddeningly blank; it took sometime before anyone spoke up, the first person being Goten.

            "I'm hungry."  
            Vegeta sweat dropped and the Vegeta-Briefs kids laughed humorlessly for a beat before Trunks finally stood up and clapped his hands together, changing his face to a more focused one. "Alright, how about we actually try to do some training?"

             Bra looked up and opened her mouth slightly as if unsure whether or not to speak, though Vegeta's interjection cut her off short.

            "A good idea, we've goofed around enough. Let's say we just do some intense physical training today with the gravity to our each of our personal maximums. There are 5 graviton rooms, the other 4 smaller than this, but we can do a physical routine and get some real work done." Vegeta grinned with a more playful tone, cracking his knuckles with emphasis.

            Again Bra looked about ready to add something, though the grown-ups were on a roll; at least she could give them that much, they weren't boringly babbling about nothing or responsibilities again, though she really wanted to make her point. She was getting frustrated.

            "I could use a real workout, I haven't done much for the past week or so. I could work up an actual appetite!" Goten stated dreamily as he looked to the side, making Trunks giggle sheepishly and Vegeta gawk with a roll of his royal eyes.

            "But---"  
            "Alright then, it's agreed. The next five hours until lunch are strictly for physical training in the highest gravity you can stand to stand in." Vegeta shook his head and stated fiercely, grinning and beginning for the door, though he spun about and faced Bra with a wink of an afterthought. "And hopefully you can excel to the next level from the added training alone."

            "But that's what I was trying to say!" Bra Vegeta-Briefs whined, crossing her arms and pouting. "I already can reach Super Saiyan. I just didn't feel like showing you anytime soon because I didn't feel it was really that necessary."

            Again the humming graviton silence ensued the room, matching the blank stares of the 3 men; again it was Goten that broke the white deadness of air with another rather random ejaculation.

            "Cool, show us!"

            Bra changed out of her pouting state and grinned beamingly, putting her arms at her sides and wrinkling her brow up with focus. The change came slowly, a guttural growl forming in her throat as her eyes phased green-turquoise.

            "Why didn't you tell me?" Trunks and Vegeta both asked disbelievingly as Goten found himself bemused with watching the little one, reminiscing of the first time he had changed states.

            "I already told you, I knew you'd both overreact; besides, it wasn't really needed or anything." Bra grinned through braced teeth, her small slender female muscles growing slightly as her frame increased by a minuscule proportion, the hair in her ponytail beginning to stand up as her white aura began to flash gold and back to white in increments of energy.

            "How long have you been able to do this though?" Trunks asked in a more scientific tone, evening his voice and placing a thoughtful hand about his chin as his little sister suddenly exploded into a glowing, throbbing aura of goldenrod and light, her ponytail almost inverted, in that it rose up at an angle rather than hang down naturally, a few loose bangs curling up at the tips and spiking.

            "About a year now. Pan can do it too, though we both promised not to tell anyone; we were just playing around one day and viola!" the girl happily announced, beaming brightly and putting her hands behind her back, rocking on heels at her own fortune as her power level soared into a fair game status of what Trunks estimated to be about a hundred and a half million stages.

            "You don't even know what that word means." Vegeta scowled, folding his arms and huffing; he had just tried in an embarrassingly unsuccessful attempt to make her transform when she already could? Brat… definitely a Royal Saiyan to be that much of a brat…

            Goten found something interesting in the floor during the whole transgression until he heard another break in the conversation, using it to finally say something more wise for the moment; his pure simplicity was a mimicry of his father's, his face always a neutral-content blend. Smoothly he stated, "Well, now that we're ready, why don't we all train? Then maybe this afternoon we can work on some fighting technique with Bra here. Just because she has the power doesn't mean she can win the fight."

            "Very true Kakarot Jr., very true…" Vegeta added with a nod, flicking a hand at the graviton to turn it off with a flutter of kinetic ki. "Let's head out; Bra, I trust you can actually train in a room by yourself, correct?"  
            Bra grinned and put on a mock facial of her daddy. "Of course I can, I'm a Saiyan!"

            The room was filled with the first pure laughter of the day, and the "family" broke up to head their own separate ways…

~~~

            The contrast between the interior of the Capsule Corporation complex and the beautiful bright sunny day speckled with fluffy white clouds high above in their cumulus arrays was shattering, making Tracy's step hold just that much more of a bounce to it as she nearly dragged Billy the first few steps away from his and her workplace into the great beyond. Mrs. Briefs lay in one of the many elaborate flowerbeds lining the exterior of the modern building, talking to her plants, and the breeze was the kind of fanciful springtime one that made everyone feel invigorated to be outside. How that Vegeta-Briefs family could stay locked up all the time was beyond Tracy, though she was content enough to be in the presence of the silent enigma that was Billy.

            Cool, though not cold, and always wearing a rather overly neutral stare, he followed her into town, the streets filled with pedestrians, cars and the occasional person hovering above, flowerbeds in full bloom all around. She felt like shopping, though with the brief half-hour or so left in her break Tracy decided to head to the nearest café on the close corner, still on the outer edge of Satan City.

            Pulling the sandy blond by the hand into the tiny glass door into what appeared to be any normal downtown diner, Tracy quickly snatched an open seat and plopped up a menu before her, giggling like a teen again, the man sitting across from her and looking rather puzzled.

            "What can I get for you?" came the dry voice of the plump stereotypical waitress who magically appeared beside the pair, cutting off what Tracy was about to say.

            "It'll be a moment thank you." The woman smiled bleakly at the black and white clothed woman, whom moved on to another table or task, leaving her alone with the mystery boy. He had pretty eyes, so deep and probing… Tracy felt young as the spring air as she selected her favorite item from the menu and then put the pamphlet down, watching Billy scan the sheets and then look to her hopelessly.

            "I'm afraid I'm not sure what to order… any suggestions?" he asked weakly, scrunching his face up into an inquisitive adolescent knot and slipping a lopsided grin in there. Tracy laughed and suggested what she had ordered, and after the waitress had taken their orders folded her hands and leaned forward, causing a mirrored action in Billy.

            "So tell me all about yourself, if I can be blunt."

            Billy blinked slowly and made a funny noise in his throat. "Well, what do you want to know?" he asked quietly, staring at her eyes, something most people couldn't stand to do when being interrogated, Tracy noted in the business part of her mind.

            "Well, where do you come from, how'd you get to be so good at what you do, all of that fun stuff." Tracy shrugged with her pressed smile, watching him. Billy seemed flustered, though he finally opened his mouth with the right timing, as the waitress set down the plates. Seeing the golden opportunity, Billy quickly began to inhale his food, scuffing out Tracy's opportunity as she sullenly took to her own plate. 'Damn…' she thought. 'So close…'

~~~

            The remainder of lunch passed by rather uneventfully, and even with her best 'subtle' probing Tracy found out no more about Billy than his resume had stated; this was his first job, he had a natural knack for mechanical and technical stuff, and he was extremely bright. Once she turned the conversation to news on the latest in energy / force resistant materials that were being used for the tournament flooring, he finally opened up slightly and showed a wider range of emotions, though almost always they reverted to the same neutral facet in between comments or thoughts.

            Walking back out into the growing early air, Tracy began to lead Billy once again a little deeper downtown, as they had another ten minutes to spare.

            "So… what were you like as a little boy Billy?" she asked with an aside shared laugh, Billy's hands in his jean pockets as he shrugged between the thinning crowds on either side.

            "Um… well I was just as I am now." He dodged as Tracy turned down a narrow sidewalk; tall walls on either side clean but not as clean as the outer areas.

            "Come on, that's a lame answer." The woman winked, pausing and turning herself to face him with her soft eyes.

            "Seriously, I don't recall much other than that I've always been pretty much as I am now." Billy replied more irately, though his eyes seemed to have caught attention of something on the other side of her.

            Tracy caught sight of his change in focus, as she had already grown accustomed to his normally not-so-easily distracted eyes. Spinning about cautiously, she came face to face with a pair of leather-donning men, tall, wide and bulked up like a Brolly of a beast and carrying a weapon, a chain and steel bat respectively. The business clad woman narrowed her eyes and slid her right foot back a bit, matching her stance to be angled in a defensive yet neutral pose.

            "May I help you gentlemen?" she asked, feeling Billy's reassuring hand on her shoulder; the two were about the same height, paling physically compared to the two 6 and ½ foot tall ogres before them, each grimacing a toothy and seductively disgusting grin. The one with the bat slapped it into his hand in a very cliché style and began to move forward a few inches.

            "Actually yes, I couldn't help seeing how well-off you appear to be lady, and thought you'd like to… donate… to the poor." He greasily stated, a nose stud glinting from the high-up sunlight peering down the crack above the alleyway.

            Tracy pursed her lips and then formed them into a tight smile, her cheekbones lifting as she forced away the disgust, though she managed to blink it away and hold up her small red purse.

            "Sure, why not? Let me get out my wallet, it'll be just a sec…" she stated slowly, opening the purse.

            "I don't think so lady, just hand it here, no funny business." The one with a chain growled as her well-manicured hand delicately began to ascend into the bag, though it stopped at his words.

            'Damn, obviously the fake-gun-which-is-actually-your-finger-in-a-bag-trick isn't going to work… plan B time? Wait, is there a plan B?' Tracy fretted internally, though her face remained a mix of neutral and deer-caught-in-headlights. Billy's arm still remained soothingly and without movement on her shoulder, strong and comforting.

            "Now just hand over the purse, and you slowly get away from the broad and take out your wallet." Thug Two continued, motioning with his free hand to Billy while keeping his eyes firmly pressed on him.

            Billy narrowed his eyes immeasurably as he sized up the situation and then smiled with raised pleasant eyebrows. "I'm sorry gentlemen," he continued with a wink to Tracy as he stepped forward, bringing himself to mere inches from Thug Two, looking up at the really pissed man. "But I'm afraid I don't have a wallet, so I'll have to ask you to leave."

            "Wise-ass, huh?" Thug One snarled, hefting his bat above his head. "I'll show you."

            There was a whoosh of air, a rather loud stinging noise, a clank and finally a pair of thuds, all mixed into one quick millisecond that left Tracy blinking with parted lips. It took her a moment, but she finally managed to blink.

            "Wow, nice work, that working out you do really pays off. Of course I so had them if you hadn't taken them." She added following her first rather amused thought, shaking off the shock. She had rarely seen any of the Vegeta-Briefs or their friends display their fierce powers, though if she had she was sure it would be at least the level of what Billy had used.

            "Now what do I do, alert some authorities?" Billy asked, narrowing his eyes and staring at the two men lying in a crumpled heap on the cold concrete floor.

            Tracy laughed a short not-so-happy laugh and took Billy by the arm, steering him around and pulling him out of the alley.

            "Actually, I don't think we should even bother, they don't look like they'll be waking up anytime soon, and they've most certainly learned their lesson." She managed to say as they slipped back into the crowds. There went her planned morning of getting to know a little about Billy the wonder-boy, she cursed silently as she glanced at her watch and they began for CCHQ. Sure she knew more than before, but still not nearly enough… besides, he was such a sexy enigma, how else could she resist him?

            "Tomorrow… or maybe tonight… nah, that'd be too soon…" she muttered.

            "Hmm?" Billy asked, tilting his head to look at her as they walked with a steady pace down the routes.

            "Nothing, just thinking out loud." Tracy blushed, making a show of checking her watch again until she had her emotions under control.

            "Oh, okay…" Billy stopped as they neared the CCHQ; the massive domed complex looming before them, its luscious greenery outside warm and greeting as a pleasant backdrop. "Well, I had a fun time." He stated, smiling faintly as he looked at her close face, making Tracy grow a large grin.

            "I did too, maybe we can do the same thing tomorrow?"

            Billy looked up a moment, squinting at the bright blue sky, and then brought his intense eyes back to bear on her with a lopsided grin. "Why not?" he stated with zeal, turning and trotting back inside to leave Tracy outside to take a long and dramatic sigh.

            "Oh Kami, I'll never understand that boy…" she muttered under her smiling face, shaking her head, fixing her hair and walking with business stance back inside to get back to work.


End file.
